Seattle is a great place to be. Specifically the waterfront area around Pikes Place Market is a GREAT place to spend a little time alone…. it was a little cold though. 🙂
Today my boss surprised me by giving me the day off right after our morning meeting! This was very unexpected (not that my boss isn’t a good guy or anything) and I had no idea what to do with myself. I quickly discarded the idea of spending most of the day playing video games in my hotel room and almost as quickly dispatched the idea of catching up on blockbuster movies. Despite the fact that it was about 40 minutes away I decided to head for one of my favorite places in Seattle – Pikes Place Market.
Upon arriving in the vicinity I ran into one of the things I dislike most about Seattle… it’s not the traffic, it’s the parking! (a close second would be the really narrow streets in downtown and the fact that the majority of the traffic seems to be oversized delivery trucks!). After driving up and down a few times I decided to bite the bullet and just go ahead and pay for parking in nearby parking garage. …Parking garage – this thing was more like some kind of elevated cave network! There were more twists and turns, barely marked intersections, and tight spaces than I thought existed anywhere!
With my parking dilemma finally sorted out I hit the streets (after even more winding around in the mixed up stairwell and pedestrian escape route exit). I quickly made my to the water and proceeded to enjoy a chilly stroll along the waterfront. …but something didn’t feel right… this place is empty… no people… I quickly became worried that the movie 27 days has become real and is taking place in Seattle! IT’S THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE PEOPLE!!! Alright Mitch, calm down you are in the Army, you can handle yourself… Army… wait a second, what time is it anyway? 0813 (that’s 8:13am for you civilian types)… Oh… there are no people here because nothing is open yet so there is no reason for sane people to be wandering around the streets of Seattle at this hour! (I’d been up, gone to work , sat thru a meeting, chatted with my boss, got the rest of the day off, drove to Seattle, found parking, and started to really enjoy myself before most Seattleites (is that the right word) were even out of bed yet! And there still wasn’t decent parking!
After deciding that I was no longer in danger from the shambling hordes muttering about brains, I once again took stock of where I was… “where am I?” Like most things, I realized that the answer to this question could best be answered with a judicial (or liberal) use of the power of my iPhone! …oh… seems like I’ve walked juuuuuuuust a little too far. But wait, how could I have walked past the Market? Isn’t it right on the waterfront? …no… (thanks iPhone) So a quick hop a few blocks off the water and a few more than a few back the direction I came and I arrive (finally) at my destination.
First order of business is a leisurely stroll through just enjoying the fact that I’m not fighting a zillion people (or zombies) who insist on inspecting every single little nic nak on display while simultaneously taking up the entire walk way (I think pedestrian traffic bothers me more than motorized traffic… at least drivers have rules and courtesy they follow!) …Hmm… a bit after 0900 and most shops are closed and the vendors are still setting up. On to the second order of business – breakfast! (I am not in the habit of eating breakfast on work days as sleep is usually more important and I don’t have much of an appetite right after I work out in the mornings). The excellent staff of the Soundview Cafe served up a solid breakfast of eggs (over easy), turkey bacon, fried potatoes, bread, and a cold glass of OJ.A corner booth with great views inspired me to try my hand at a little Hemingway action… but instead of the next great American novel – or even a decent short story all I could come up with is essentially just a diary entry. Maybe the rest of my day will provide the inspiration to write again!
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Errant Adventures 